Stalk-cutter



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L J. Q. ADAMS.

STALK CUTTER. No. 257,993. Patented May 16, 18-82 itnessas .Znvenior I136 01): e yag N. PEYERS. mowumu m m Washinglun. n1;

(No Model.)

v 2 Sheets-:Sheet 2. J.. Q. ADAMS. STALK CUTTER.

N o."257,993. Patented May 16, 1882.

In var 1501 0/121 Qfldamp- N PETERS Phnto-Liihngnphvr. Washinglnn. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Gretna.

JOHN Q. ADAMS, OF MARSEILLES, ILLINOIS.

STALK-CUTTE'R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,993, dated May 16, 1882,

' Application filed August 29, 1881. (No model.)

ing my improvements, the seat being removed.

Fig.2 is a side elevation of the same with the seat. Fig. 3 is a detailed and enlarged crosssection of one of the cylinders carrying the knives. Fig. 4 is a section of the same on the line a a: in Fig, 3. Fig. 5 is a detailed and enlarged side elevation of thedevice for adjusting the knives. Fig. 6 is a section on the line y 3 in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detailed and enlarged side elevation of one of the knife-carryin g arms. Fig. 8 is a corresponding front elevation of the same. Fig. 9 is a corresponding perspective view of part of the knife-blade with the shank which connects it with the carrying-arm. Fig. 10 is a corresponding perspective view of the rear end of the foot-lever with the device for holding it down.

The same letters denote the same parts in all the figures.

My invention relates to stalk-cutters adapted to be drawn by horses and provided with revolving cylinders, which carry the knives; and-it consists in the several devices and combinations of devices subsidiary to the main ends of the machine, which will be fully describedhereinafter, and definitelypointed out in the claims, the object being to make the knives readily detachable to facilitate the use of the cylinders as rollers and to provide improved means for locking and releasing the crank-shaft on which the knives have their hearing.

w convex surface to allow the knife-blades B to l protrude for the purpose of cutting the stalks as the machine is drawn over the ground. The knife-carryingarmsO have their bearings (by means ofthe enlarged annular upper ends, 0) on that portion of the crank-shaft D which is aside from the center on which the cylinders revolve, the shaft itself remaining fixed during the operation of the machine, and the tively to the cylinder by reason of the eccentricity oftheir bearings. be turned by means of the lever E rigidly set on its outer end, so as to bring the bearing of the knife-carrying arms either above the axis of-the cylinder (in which case the knife-blades will protrude only when they are in the upper part of their revolution, and the cylinders will roll smoothly over the ground) or below the axis, so that the blades will protrude in the lower part-of their revolution and out the ver may be locked in either position, or in positions intermediate, by means of the slotted plates F, which are set on the outer side bars ofthe frame. All these parts and operations as thus generally described are already known. Each of the slotsfin the platesFiselongated, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and the lever E has a similar slot, 0, in its free end. make the plates F double, so that the IGVQIE passes between them, as shown in Fig. 6. The bolt G, which locks the lever and platestogether, has a lug, g, on its inner end projecting in a direction at right angles to the length of the bolt, the combined length of the lug and thickness of the bolt exceeding the breadth of the slot f, but being less than the lengthof either of the slotsfor 0. At its other end the bolt has an arm, 9, somewhat longer that the lug g and parallel to it. The outer end of this arm is weighted. By turning the boltso that the lug 9 shall be horizontal, or nearly so, the shank of the bolt can be passed through the slots until the lug is clear of the inner, plate, when, as soon as the hand is withdrawn, the preponderant weight of "the outer end of the arm 9 will bring that arm into a perpendicular position, and of course the lugintoa similar position, at right angles, or nearly so, to

arms receiving a reciprocating motion relathe slots 0 and f, in which position the bolt The crank-shaft may stalks, 850., which come in their way. Thelecannot be drawn back through the slots. The weight at the outer end of arm 1 is sufficient to prevent any accidental turningvof the bolt, which thus remains fast until it is turned again by hand into the right position for withdrawal.

I thus provide a simple and readily-operated means of locking and unlocking the lever, and consequently the crank-shaft, and one which will not wear out or get out of order.

On one side of each knife-carrying arm 0, beyond the annular part c, I form a perpendicular rib, c, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Through this rib I cut a bolt-hole, c and against the back of therib I set two flat bars, H and H, one upon the other, each bar having a bolt-hole, h, corresponding to that in the rib so that the three may be bolted together, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 7. The lower part, h, of the bar H is set away from the other bar by means of a double bend, far enough to let the knife-blade B between the two bars, as shown in Fig. 9, and the blade is made fast by means of a bolt passing through corresponding holes in the barand blade, and secured at one end by a nut. I thus facilitate the operation of removing and replacing one, several,or all of the blades, whether for the purpose of sharpening, repairing, or changing blades, or for converting the stalk-cutter into a land-roller, and vice versa.

The drivers seat J is shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings affixed to the rear end of a strip, K, of hiekoryor other elastic wood, whichis bolted at its front end on a block, K, whose upper surface slopes upward and backward, and which is affixed to the front part of the frame of the machine, or to the upper side of the tongue. To the under side of the strip K, a little forward of the seat, I affix a tube, L, which is preferably a rectangular casting. This tube receives the back end, we, of a bar, M, of spring-steel, whose forward end,m, is bolted to the back part of the tongue, the bar not beingfasten'ed to the tube L or to the seatsupportiug strip, but having room for a little motion both vertically and horizontally in the tube. The back part, m, of the bar M is bent parallel to the strip K, and the forward end is bent parallel to the tongue.

By means of this double spring of wood and steel I give a sufficiently firm support to the seat, and at the same time prevent a jolting which would otherwise be intolerable.

Below and somewhat forward ofthe seat a foot-rest, N, is supported on a pair of braces, N, each ofwhich is bent so as to form three sides of a trapesium, the foot-rest being affixed to the uppermost, and each of the lower ends, n, being also bent into a horizontal direction and bolted to the frame-work. A little above its lower end a triangular catch, a, projects inwardly from each brace, as shown in Fig. 10 of the drawings. A pair of foot-levers, 0, (shown in Fig. 1, one ofthem being also shown in Fig.

2,) are supported somewhat back of their middle points on props, O, affixcd to theframe.

The forward end of each lever carries a ring, 0 through which the drag-hook P also passes, so that the depression of the forward end' of the leverlets the dra g-hook down to the ground, while the elevation ofthat end takes it offfrom the ground. The rear arm of the lever coming incontact with the lower and hinder edge of the foot-rest prevents the forward arm from bein g depressed too far. The rear arm,which extends a little behind the foot-rest, can readily be depressed by the drivers foot, and the draghook thus lifted from the ground. Aplate, .0 on the rear end of the lever 0 gives a wider surface for the foot to presson, and has outwardly projecting-from it alug, 0 (shown most plainly in Fig. '10 of the drawings,) which, on being pressed downward, slides along the sloping upper side of the triangular catch n,which is preferably curved to facilitate this motion, and locks under the straight lower side of the catch. When it is desired to letthe drag-hooks down again the lugs 0 may be disengaged from the catches a by pushing the rear ends of the levers slightly inward, the superior weight of the forward arms, added to that of the draghooks, being sufficient to depress the forward ends as soon as the rear ends are released.

When the machine is used as a roller a considerable breadth of ground willbeleft between the inner ends of the knife-cylinders unaffected by either of them. To provide for this I attach to the rear of theframe a supplementary cylinder, Q, having the ends of its axle resting in a suitable frame, B. This frame Iconnect with the frame of the knifecylinders by means of two eyebolts, S and S, which form for all practical purposes auniversal joint, so that no inconvenience will-arise from the necessary variation between the motions of the two divisions of the roller. Each bolt may be fastened by a. nut to its part of the machine, so that the two parts can readily be separated or united. The frame R supports a box, T,which may be filled with weights, and thus cause the cylinder Q to bear heavily enough on the ground.

I do not claim broadly the combination ota revolving longitudinally-slotted cylinder with detachable knife-blades; but

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In astalk-cutter, arevolving cylinder longitudinally slotted, in combination with a fixed crank-shaft on'which itrevolves,with knife-carrying arms having their hearings on the shaft eccentrically to thecylinder, with knife-holders H H, attached to the knife-carrying arms, and with knife-blades detachably set in the knife-holders, substau tiall y as and for the'purpose described.

2. The lever E, rigidly set on the crankshaft D and provided near its free end with the slot e, in combination with the plates F, having the elongated slots f, and with the bolt ICO G, provided atits inner end with the lug g and necting said cylinders with a supplementary at its outer end with the parallel weighted arm rear cylinder, substantially as and for the purg, substantially as and forlthe purposes deposes described.

scribed. JOHN Q. ADAMS. 5 3. The knife-cylinders A, in combination Witnesses:

with knife-blades detachablyset therein, and GEO. J. (JRAM,

with means for flexibly and (letachably con- H. O. MOSHER. 

